Historically psychometrics has a chequered history, from its beginnings with IQ testing one hundred years ago to the current controversies on privacy and psychological micro-targeting on the internet. Often in spite of the best intentions, the field has been beset with a host of unintended consequences. The vision behind IQ and meritocracy turned all too easily into eugenics and bell curve thinking. We didn’t see it coming then, but can we now – is it too late for history to help us? Social networks has given us communication, but big brother is hovering in the wings.

Professor John Rust is the Director of the Psychometrics Centre, Cambridge Judge Business School.